This document provides guidance on creating an effective project management plan. It discusses that a plan should answer why, what, how, when, who, and cost for a project. The key sections of a project management plan are then outlined, including an introduction, organizational structure, management processes, work breakdown, schedule, and budget. Guidance is given on items to include in each section, such as objectives, controls, assumptions, staffing, technical details, milestones, Gantt charts, estimates, and reports. The document stresses that plans should be dynamic, flexible, and updated, and provides tips for reviewing and improving a created project management plan.

1. Project Planning
Dr. Huy Nguyen

2. Why do we need a plan for project?
• We must to answer:
– Why:
• Why is this project happening?
• Why is this project implemented now?
• Why do we implement this project?
– What:
• What solution needs to be put in place to achieve the goals?
• What work needs to happen to build the solution?
– How:
• How do we get this solution in place?
• How do we know when we’re done?
2

3. Why do we need a plan for project? (cont.)
• We must to answer:
– When:
• When do work activities happen?
• What do we need to do first?
• What is the last activity of this project?
• How long will this project prolong?
– Who:
• Who do we need to deliver this project successfully?
– And What will this project cost?
3

4. Project Planning
• Benefits of planning;
• What to consider in your plan;
• Project management plan;
• Guidelines for project managemen plan;
• Reviewing a project management plan.
4

5. Benefits of Planning
• Plans are unique just like projects.
• First and foremost guide project execution by helping the project manager
lead the project team and assess project status.
• Plans should be:
– Dynamic;
– Flexible;
– Updated as changes occur.
• Project plans are used to:
– Guide project execution;
– Document project planning assumptions;
– Document project planning decisions regarding alternatives chosen;
– Facilitate communication among stakeholders;
– Define key management reviews as to content, extent, and timing;
– Provide a baseline for progress measurement and project control.
5

6. Benefits of Planning (cont.)
• Change once you start;
• Guide you activities;
• Make you think ahead;
• Help you work out who you need to hire;
• Work out the timeline and budget;
• Help manage expectations;
• Help understand the effects of changes;
• Make sure you are doing the right thing.
6

7. What to consider in your plan
• Who will read it?
• What do they need to know?
• Are they interested in?
• What is your project going to deliver?
– Scope: The work to be done = The target product;
– Definition: The work to be done =?= The target product;
– Change control: The work to be done =?= The target product;
– Value: The work to be done =?= The target product.
7

8. What to consider in your plan
• Scope:
 Project scope statement;
 Major work packages:
• Description of work to perform, and references the scope management
plan;
• Scope management plan; project charter, scope statement, work
breakdown structure.
 Key deliverables:
• Description of products produced as part of project ;
• Includes description of quality expectations.
8

9. What to consider in your plan
The right
way
The
wrong
way
Focus on
deliverables
Focus on
processes
Align to
value
Align to
process
stages
Why? Why not?
9

10. Project Management Plan - General
• “Plans are useless. Planning is indispensible.”
• A project management plan (or project plan) is a formal approved document
used to coordinate all project planning documents and help guide a project’s
execution and control.
• Plans created in the other knowledge areas are subsidiary parts of the overall
project management plan.
• Common elements of a project plan:
– Introduction or overview;
– Description of organisation;
– Management and technical processes;
– Work to be done;
– Schedule;
– Budget information.
10

11. Project Management Plan - Introduction or Overview
• Description of organisation;
• Project name: should be unique;
• Brief description:
– Outline of goals and reason for project;
– Written in layperson’s terms, avoiding technical terms;
– Include rough time and cost estimate.
• Sponsor’s name:
– Include name, title and contact information.
• Names of project manager and key team members;
• List of deliverables:
– List of products produced as part of project.
• List of reference materials:
– List of documents referencing plans produced for other knowledge areas
eg. cost management plan, human resources plan, communications plan…
• List of definitions and acronyms:
– Include this section only if appropriate;
– Provide a list of definitions to avoid confusion. 11

12. Project Management Plan - Description of Organization
• Organizational charts:
– Sponsor company;
– Customers company;
– Project.
• Project responsibilities:
– Responsibility assignment matrix (RAM).
12

13. Project Management Plan - Description of Organization (cont.)
• Work breakdown structure (WBS):
– You might break down the work by phases.
13

14. Project Management Plan - Description of Organization (cont.)
• Organizational breakdown structure (OBS):
14

15. Project Management Plan - Description of Organization (cont.)
• Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) or RASCI Matrix:
– Who do what;
– Role and responsibility;
– How to involve:
• R: Responsible  assignment to work;
• A: Accountable  final decision, ultimate ownership;
• S: Supportive  support to taking decision;
• C: Consulted  be consulted before decisions taken;
• I: Informed  be informed after decisions taken.
15

16. Project Management Plan - Description of Organization (cont.)
• Responsibility Assignment Matrix:
– Describe responsible and performing activities: One and only one person
can be accountable. Multiple people can be responsible and certainly
others can be supportive, informed and consulted.
 Lots of R: too many people involved or too much work;
 No R or A: who does it? or can function be eliminated?
 More than 1 A: confusion or is accountability at the right level;
 Lots of C and I: do they all need to know?
 No empty space: too much work.
16

17. Project Management Plan - Management and
Technical Processes
• Management objectives:
– Top management view of project;
– Priorities;
– Major assumptions or constraints/limitation/restriction.
• Project controls:
– Describes how to monitor project progress;
– Monthly, quarterly status reviews.
• Highlights key information, e.g. list specific hardware or software to use on the
project or certain specifications to follow.
• Document major assumptions made in defining project work.
17

18. Project Management Plan - Management and
Technical Processes (cont.)
• Document your assumptions during the project:
Very little
knowledge
Complete
knowledge
Degree of knowledge over time
18

19. • Risk management:
– Process for identifying and controlling risks;
– Risk management plan.
• Project staffing:
– Description of types and number of people;
– Staffing management plan;
– Resource histogram:
• How each member contribute to their work.
• Technical processes:
– Formats for technical documents, etc…
Project Management Plan - Management and
Technical Processes (cont.)
19

20. Project Management Plan - Schedule
• Work diagram:
20

21. Project Management Plan - Schedule (cont.)
• Milestone report:
21

22. Project Management Plan - Schedule (cont.)
• Gantt chart:
22

23. Project Management Plan - Budget Information
• Cost estimate:
23

24. Project Management Plan - Budget Information (cont.)
• Budget report:
24

25. Project Management Plan - Budget Information (cont.)
• Constructing a budget is easy but sticking to it is hard.
• Considering the Quadruple Constraint:
• How will you Monitor and Control the project?
• Who needs to know?
 Construct the adaptive status report.
25

26. Project Management Plan - Risk Management
• Risk, opportunity and potential cost:
26

27. Guidelines for Project Management Plan
• Guidelines of 6 steps proven path:
27

28. Reviewing a Project Management Plan
28

29. Thank You
Next topic:
Project Integration Management
29